Railway-crossing.



G l.. FORESTIER..

RAILWAY CROSSWG.

APPLICATHJN FILED 1M|.19, |911,

ggg, A Patented 0G15.A 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

6, INVEN-ro Arron Nev vG. L. FORESTER.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9. 191iI 1,244,439. Patented. OCI. 23,1417.

2 SHEETS-sniff 2.

sa v 166105 d@ ATTDRNEY GEORGE L. ronnsrnn, or Asrrnvrtnn, Nonrncnnotmn.

nAILwAY-cnossine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteaoct. 23, 1917.

' Appli-cation led'anuary 19, 1917.l SerialNo. 143,335l v Be it known that, Grenen L. Fonnsfrnn, a citizenof the United States, residingat Asheville,- in thecounty of Buncombe and State of North Carolina,` have inventedznew and useful Improvements inrRailwayCrossf ings, of which vthe fol-lo.ving is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to impreveinents in track constructions and is particularly directed to railway crossings.

In kcarrying out my invention ity isy my purpose to provide a railway crossing with means whereby the treads of the wheels of the rolling stock will be aiiorded a continuous bearing surface overthe said crossing and thus overcome the liability of the wheels sinking between ythe usual gaps between "the rails and the resultant injury to both' the wheels and the ends of the rails as well as to relieve@ the passengers of the train from the shocks and jars thus occasioned. v

It is also my aine to arrange upon a railway crossing slidable blocks which may be moved to bring their faces flush with the top and ends of the rails to receive the treads of the wheels and prevent the flanges of the rails contacting ,withy the-ends of the rails when a train is passingA over the crossing in one direction and for moving the said blocks in an opposite direction to bring the saine below the heads of the rails and out of the path of contact with the ianges of the wheels when a train is'passing the crossing in a second or oppositedirection.

It is a. still further object of the invention to arrange upon a crossing a means for bridging the gaps between the rails at the corners of the said crossing which shall comprise gravitatiously influenced vertically movable blocksdisposed in suitable guides and designed to be engaged and elevated to bring the upper edges thereof flush with the tread surface of the rails by slidable elements which, when arranged below the said blocks, afford supports fory the blocks and which when moved away from the blocks will permit of the said blocks gravitating below the tread surface of thevrails.

It is a still further object of the invention to produce a rail crossing having means for securing the gaps thereof to provide a continuous bearing surface for thetreads of the wheels of thenrolling stock which shall embody the desirable and essential features of `Simplicity in construction', cheapness to manufacture, and durability coupled with accuracy and cfliciency in operation.`

The essential features of the invention in-M volved in carryingout the objects above ini dgicated are necessarily susceptible of ein-4 bodiment in various forms of' construction without departing from the yscope ofthe in` vention but certain preferred and practical embodiments are exemplified by the accompanying` drawings in which: y Figure jl is a plan view of a railway crossing'constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectionalview approximately lon the line 2 2 of Fig.- l,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximatelyon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,- the blocks being illustrated in their elevated position,`

Fig. 4 is a detail `section approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. l, y i

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the blocks, and v Y.

Fig. G is a perspective view of one oft-.he slidable elevatingfmem-bers for the blocks.

In the drawings, thernumeral vl ldesignatesv a railway crossing of the conventional forrn, comprising two intersecting, tracks 2 and 3 respectively. The main rails 2a of the tracks 2 at the corners of the crossing' maybeintegrally formed with theV main' rails 3a of the track 3. The main rails v@b Q"Y and 3b 3b have their ends spaced from the respective rails 2' 3 of the main Atracks and the short or guard `rails 2c 2 and 3 3c of the crossing are arranged at right angles to each other and are spaced from thexrails are formed at the ends of themainfcrossing rails 2* 2b and 9 3?, the said short guard rails being spaced from the rails 2f1 3a of the respectiveA tracks 2 Land 3,"thfesaid guard rails, of course, extendingin the direction of the rails ofthe main tracks.

The main rails @b b, the guard rails 2 3C' of the crossing,A and the intersecting cornersof the rails 2a and 3a as well as a portion of the short guard rails 2f d' rest upon a frame comprisingupperflat metallic plates 4 and vertically disposed I-bearns 5 connecting the said plates, and the center; of the crossing mayv and preferably is 'provided with a suitable cover (not shown). y y,

The main rails 2a-3a at the corners` of the crossing have their innerv facesenlargedA by.

thickeningy the websof the said rails as indrfy cated by the numerals 6 so that the said webs are arranged in a line flush with the inner faces of the heads of the said rails, and the said thickened or widened portions 6 are provided with a plurality of spaced vertically arranged elongated slots 7 which are disposed opposite similar slots upon the inner and straight faces of the guard rails 2d-31. lThese alining slots are adapted to receive anti-frictional members, in the nature of rollers 8 .provided upon short shafts or trunnions 9 that extend late-rally from the sides'of the blocks 10. rlfhe block membersare of sufficient weight as to be gravitatiously influenced, whereby the same will drop below the bearing or tread surfaces of the rails and rest upon the plates heretofore referred to. rllhe slots 7 are so arranged that when the antifrictional members S contact with the upper walls thereof, the blocks 10 will be limited in an upward direction whereby the upper faces of the said blocks will be arranged flush with the tread'surfaces of the rails.

By reference to the drawings itv will be noted that each of the blocks 10 has what l will term its outer face straight, four of these blocks being arranged in a line with the inner faces of the main rails 2, and the crossing rails 2b which are also in a line with the said rails 2a, while the remaining four blocks 10 have their outer straight edges flush with the inner faces of the rails 3 and the crossing rails 3b of the track 2. The referred to series of blocks are adapted to Vbe operated simultaneously in a manner which will be presently described, so that the first referred to blocks when elevated will llt-he gap between the rails Sa and the short rails Sd, causing a continuous tread surface to be presented to the wheels of the rolling stock traveling upon the vtrack 2 and likewise when this series of blocks is lowered the second referred to series may be elevated to close the gap between the rails 3 and the crossing rails 3b to provide a continuous tread for the wheels of the rolling stock traveling upon the track 3. The inner edges of each of the blocks is cut angularly from itsupper edge inwardly toward its base as indicated by the numerals 11, and the beveled end 11 adjacent to the sides of the block is formed with continuous grooves 12-12. Each of the blocks 10, upon the underface thereof is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 13, the walls provided by the said groove being substantially T-shaped asclearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The plates d directly below each of the blocks are provided with elongated slots or openings 14; through which pass the centrally arranged webs or brackets l5 formed centrally upon the lower flat faces of the elevating members 16 for the blocks 10. The elevating member-S16 are also in the nature of flat substantially rectangular blocks and have what 1 will term their inner ends cut at an angle., corresponding to the inclined ends 11 of the blocks 10, as indicated by the numeral 17, and these beveled ends are provided with outwardly extending ribs 18 that are adapted to aline and vto be received in the grooves 12 upon the beveled ends 11 of the blocks 10. The elevating members or blocks 16 upon the upper and flat faces thereofare provided each with a centrally arranged longitudinally extending tongue 18. The said tongue is T- shaped in cross section so as to be received in the T-shaped groove in the members 13 when they have been moved in the direction of the blocks 10 so that when the ribs 1S at the beveled ends of the members 17 leav the grooves 12 of the blocks 10 the T-shaped ribs 1S will enter the T-shaped grooves 13 in the said blocks 10, and by this arrangement it will be noted that the members 10 are at all times associated with the elevating members 16. To facilitate the entrance of the ribs 18 into the 'l"-shaped grooves 13, the upper horizontal flanges of thesaid ni"sliaped ribs adjacent to the beveled ends 17 of the members 16 are cut angularly upon the sides thereof as indicated by the numerals 19, and the thickness of the elevating and supporting members 16 is such that when the same is disposed below the blocks 10, the upper faces of the said blocks will be maintained flush with the heads of the main rails and the guard rails disposed adjacent to the main rails.

1n order to properly retain the ribs or brackets 15 within their respective slots 1d,

l provide the same with transversely arranged pins 20 'which are round in cross section and which have journaled thereon anti-frictional rollers 21 which contact with the underface of the plates Ll and which, of course, are of a greater width than the slots 1e, it being understood, of course, that the elevating blocks 16 are likewise of a greater width than that of the said slots 14;

Journaled in suitable bearings 21' upon the side members 5 of the frame supporting the members Ll are right angula-rly disposed shafts 22 and 23 respectively'. The shaft extends in the direction of the rails 3a of the track 3, while the shaft 28 is arranged in a line with the rails 2a of the track 2. Each of the shafts 22 and 23 away from the center thereof is provided with an offset or crank portion 24: and 25 respectively, and connected with each of the said cranks is a rod 26 and 27 respectively, the rod 26 being extended in the direction of the track 2, the rod 27 being extended in the direction of the track 3, and the said rods 26 and 2T may and preferably do comprise two connecting elements, the connection between the said elements being in the nature of anadju'stable elementwhereby the rods may be shortenedv or lengthened as occasion 'may require. Each of the rods 26' and 27 is-pivotallyconnected to one of the arms of a bell crank lever 2S and 29 respectively, the second arm of eachV of the bell crank levers having secured Athereto a `rod or link 30 and 31 respectively, and. thefsaid links-30 and 31 also preferably comprise two memberswhich are adjust-ably connected,- andthe linky 30 is pivotally secured to yone* of the arms of a bell `crank lever 32,uthe other arm having loosely connected thereto ,a rod 33 and the rod is secured to the lower endof yan operating lever 34, while the link 31 is likewise pivotally connectedl to an operating lever rIhe levers 34 and y35 may be arranged at any desired p osition with respect to the crossing, as for instance in ay tower housefor the like,.and the said levers may, ifn

desired, be connected to some suitable signaling device, such z as aAY semaphore (not shown). The shafts 22 and 23 outward of f their bearings 21 have centrally securedthereto levers 36 and 37 respectively, and to the opposite ends of the said levers are pivotally connected links 38-38 and 39-39 respectively, the said links being likewise pivotally secured to the webs or brackets 15 disposed to the opposite sides of the said levers 36 and 37. By this arrangement it will be noted that when the operating lever 34 is actuated the shaft 22 will be rotated in its bearings, swinging the levers 36-36 connected thereto and through the medium of the rods 33-33 move four of the elevating members 16 to cause the same to engage beneath four of the blocks 10, to elevate the said blocks and to close the gap between the rails 3il and 3b of the main line 3, or when the said lever 3i is actuated in an opposite direction to bring the elevating members 16 from beneath the blocks 10, to permit of the said blocks to drop by gravity below the tread surface of the said track 3. Likewise when the lever 35 is actuated in one direction the shaft 23 will be turned which, through the medium of the levers 37 connected therewith, will swing the rods 39-39 in opposite directions, causing the elevating members 16 to be brought beneath the remaining four blocks 10 to close the gap between the rails 2a and 2b to provide a continuous tread for the wheels of the rolling stock traveling upon the track 2, and, of course, when the said lever 34C is moved in an opposite direction the elevating members 16 will be brought from beneath the referred to blocks 10, permitting the said blocks to gravitate below the tread surface of the rail.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the device as arranged is such that the blocks in both tracks cannot be elevated at one and the same time thereby blocking the crossing in both directions but the reverse ofthis is true that by 'a--eproper adjustment of the levers both tracksA can be ileftaopen for-passage otrains in either direction-:exactly asi-in the case with the .presentcommon crossing: almost'universally in use. f

Itwill be further notedfthat'the device asfplannedof placing blocks between lthe rails inthe manner'indicated inno manner weakens or disturbs the present` common crossing almost universallyv in use.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a railway crossing', blocks in the gaps between the rails atthe corners of ythe crossing7 anti-fractional guide means for said blocks, slidablek means disposed to underlie the blocksv to elevate the latter to bring the same flush'with the heads of the rails, interengaging elements between said means and said blocks, and actuating.'mechanism for Ysaid means.

2. In a, railway crossing,:.angularly'disposed main railsand guard vrails for. the main rails, said main rails having. their webs widened at the ends= thereof. and vprovided with vertical slots, the guard.railsfalsolhaving slots disposed respectively opposite the mentioned slots, gravity-blocks in thergaps at'the corners of the crossing, laterally eX- tending trunnions upon the sides of the blocks, anti-rictional rollers upon the trunnions and received in the referred to slots, slidable means disposed to underlie the blocks to elevate the latter to bring the same flush with the tread surface of the rails, and operating mechanism for said slidable means.

3. In a railway crossing, gravity blocks in the gaps at the corners of the crossing, guide means for said blocks including antifrictional elements, slidable members coengaging with one of the ends of said blocks, means comprising mechanism for actuating the slidable means for bringing the same beneath the blocks to elevate the blocks, and interengaging means between the slots and said slidable means when the said means is brought beneath the blocks.

4:. In a railway crossing, gravity blocks in the gaps at the corners of the crossing, guide means for the blocks to limit the vertical movement of the said block and including anti-rictional elements, each of said blocks having its outer end inclined, slidable blocks having inclined ends designed to engage with the inclined ends of the iirst mentioned blocks whereby to guide the slidable blocks beneath the first mentioned blocks, and means comprising mechanism for actuating the slidable blocks.

5. In a railway crossing, gravitatiously iniuenced blocks in the gaps at the corners thereof, guide means including anti-frictional elements and limiting the vertical movement of the blocks to bring the same flush with the treads of the rails or beloiv said treads, said blocks having,l their inner ends beveled inwardly from their tops to their bottoms and provided with continuous grooves, each of said blocks having its under-face provided with a continuous groove, elevating' blocks having inner beveled ends provided with ribs normally received in the grooves in the beveled ends of the rst mentioned blocks when the latter are in their lower position, continuous rib upon the upper face of the elevating' blocks designed to be received in the groove in the underiace of the first mentioned blocks when the elevating` blocks have been moved beneath the first mentioned blocks to elevate the latter, and means comprising` mechanism for sliding the elevating blocks.

6. In a railwayv Crossing, grravitatiously influenced blocks in the gaps atthe corners of said crossing'7 guide means including antiriotional elements for limiting the vertical movement of said blocks, said blocks upon their outer ends beine; inclined inwardly from the top to the bottom thereof, said inclined ends having spaced continuous the beveled ends of the slidable blocks engagging in the erooves of the beveled ends of the first mentioned blocks when in such position, a. T-shaped rib uponthe top of each of the slidable blocks designed to enter the ul`shaped groove oithe respective rst mentioned blocks, and means comprising mechanism for Vactuating the slidable blocks to bring certain oi the same beneath certain oi' the first mentioned blocks for elevating the first mentioned bloolis to elose the gaps at the crossing to one of the main lines of the track and for elevating the remaining blocks to Yclose the Lgap at the cross; ing,` to the other main line of the track When the first mentioned pairs of blocks are lowered.

In testimony whereof I afx inv signature.

GEGRGE kL. FCR-ESTER.

Genies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

